Are you a fan of salsa? Me too! If salsa makes you think “chips” well, think again! It can be used on so many other things that are healthier for you. There is a vast variety of ready made salsas to choose from these days. My family likes some of the jarred Trader Joe’s salsas as well as the fresh ones found in their refrigeration section. They are low in calories but big on flavor. Did you know that the active ingredient in chili peppers called capsaicin also stokes your metabolism for an hour after you eat it? I read that eating spicy foods is suppose to help you feel full faster, I don’t know it that is true or not but it sure does give you a lot of satisfying flavor!
We enjoy the chunky salsa with the Mexican Shredded Chicken Slow Cooker recipe. In fact that is on tonight’s menu. I also like to dip baby carrots, celery, cucumber slices, red pepper slices and snap peas in salsa. For a low calorie salad dressing mix a little salsa with low fat sour cream or fat free Greek yogurt. Try some salsa on grilled chicken or pork for lots of added flavor. Stir some salsa into plain brown rice or black beans to give it some Southwest flair. It also adds some kick to black bean soup, plain frozen corn, over a turkey burger or a Boca patty. Scrambled eggs with a little salsa is delicious. You can even add it to cottage cheese! Now if you really must have chips with your salsa you might try making your own Baked Chips from Mission Extra Thin Corn Tortillas. They taste really good and you have built in portion control.
Hubby Tom likes the stronger, spicy flavor of salsa verde.
This salsa is a lovely combination of sweet and spicy. Love that!
This was last nights dinner. Baked Southwest Tilapia topped with Peach Salsa. The combination of flavors is amazing. The fish is spicy and the sweet – spicy flavors of the peach salsa are the perfect compliment. This dish has tons of flavor so even though it is super low calorie it is very satisfying. That is my kind of meal.
I used the seasonings for the fish from the Baked Southwest Tilapia recipe but I wanted to cook the asparagus at the same time so I used Chef Pam Anderson’s cold oven method for cooking them both on the same baking sheet as used in the recipe Baked Fish with Broccoli and Capers. This was a last minute dinner. Here is how it all went down, it was 4:00 yesterday afternoon and I was out with Katy so we called home and asked hubby Tom to pull some Tilapia fillets out of the freezer and toss the individually wrapped tenderloins in some cold water to thaw.
When we arrived home at 4:30 the fish was thawed out and ready to cook. The fish was seasoned with the spices and sprayed with olive oil spray, then placed on one end of a foil lined baking sheet sprayed with olive oil spray. The asparagus was washed and trimmed, placed on the other end of the baking sheet, prayed with olive oil spray and seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper. The baking sheet was placed on the oven rack set at the lowest position in a cold oven. Yes that is right a cold oven, that was then turned on and set to 400 degrees. Twenty minutes later the fish and asparagus was ready.
While the fish and asparagus cooked to perfection I assembled a tossed salad of romaine, baby greens, shredded carrots, salad tomatoes and a variety of chopped baby peppers. This was all tossed with the easy peasy Jacque Pepein Vinaigrette. Super easy, super fast, super satisfying and spicy! You just have to try this cold oven method for cooking fish.
Homemade salsa is also quick and easy and here are two of my favorites, Adans’s Grandmas’s Salsa and My Easy Red Salsa.
Yesterday Katy and I went into Sacramento and after having a salad with chicken for lunch at Chipotle we decided to go for a walk around the capitol. There is a huge beautiful park surrounding the CA State Capitol. It was a gorgeous sunny day and we were among lots of downtown office workers who were wearing their tennis shoes with their business clothes as they fitness walked around the park. Isn’t the capitol a neat building?
The cactus gardens were looking pretty good.
The orange trees were loaded with fruit.
We had fun playing with my iPhone and the Instagram app that Katy found. I am still learning how to use the iPhone camera.
Nutmeg Notes
Today is day five on the 17 Day Diet. Since I started this food plan I have dealt with eating on a hike, dinner at a friends house, lunch out with a girlfriend, and lunch out with Katy! I have made pretty good choices and have had to make some food choices that are not on this food plan. I just now realized that I had black beans on my salad yesterday and those aren’t included in the first cycle of this food plan! Rats! I was just on auto pilot when I ordered my usual healthy salad. Since I was gone most of the day yesterday I also didn’t get my second yogurt or fruit serving in. I guess it will all balance out as far as calories but certainly not nutritionally. I should be able to eat most of my meals at home from now through Friday so that will help with staying more on plan. On day three I was craving some carbs but that passed quickly. I am very satisfied with the food choices. I do sometimes get hungry between meals but I have yogurt, fruit or some protein and that holds me over to the next meal. So far so good. Let me know if you would like more information about the 17 Day Diet. I could do a post about the plan if anyone is interested.
Today so far I have walked 3 miles and did an upper arm workout using hand weights! I am meeting my fitness goals and that feels awesome.
Wishing you a healthy day!
Tami
Add Your Thoughts
How do you like to use Salsa?
Do you have fitness goals?
Do you schedule your exercise?
21 comments
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Racheal @ Running with Racheal says:
February 1, 2012 at 11:29 am (UTC -7)
I love salsa on my eggs with goat cheese, but the jar always seems to run out pretty quickly at my house.
My major fitness goal is training for a half marathon, and it is coming up this month. Yikes!
Tami says:
February 2, 2012 at 7:55 am (UTC -7)
A half marathon – that is amazing!
Jody - Fit at 54 says:
February 1, 2012 at 12:08 pm (UTC -7)
I love TJ’s!!! I use the Fire Roasted salsa & the Garlic one from them. Use it on all my meats, sometimes veggies & make a homemade guac with them! LOVE!!!! Will check out your choices next time! I go for the lower sodium ones.
What beautiful pics of your day!! Love the daughter one – she has your good genes!
Glad the diet is working for you! I think people would be interested in a post!
YES, I schedule my workouts!
Goals – keep fighting the aging! 
Tami says:
February 2, 2012 at 7:55 am (UTC -7)
Oh Jody I have had that roasted salsa with garlic and it is yummy!
Ann says:
February 1, 2012 at 12:23 pm (UTC -7)
Yes I too love salsa. I have a similar recipe for tilapia , but you mix corn with the salsa and it is lovely. I’ve also used peach salsa on pork tenderloin and that’s yummy as well. I like using salsa as a salad dressing when I’m craving mexican food. So glad you’re having a great week so far!
Tami says:
February 2, 2012 at 7:56 am (UTC -7)
Thanks for all the ideas for using salsa Ann – they sounds wonderful.
Carol says:
February 1, 2012 at 2:28 pm (UTC -7)
I love salsa and really only use the one I can myself. I made only one batch last Fall & it is nearly gone. I do love the fresh fruit salsas at restaurants.
I would love to have a fitness goal but until I can get treatment for my arthritis{it’s moving around} I really can’t do much. Or maybe I think I can’t do much because of the pain!
Tami says:
February 1, 2012 at 7:06 pm (UTC -7)
Chronic pain makes exercise difficult Carol. Water aerobics would be good for you!
I bet your home made salsa is fabulous!
Cammy-TippyToeDiet says:
February 1, 2012 at 3:36 pm (UTC -7)
When I read your opening, I realized that I now think of celery first when I think of salsa! There’s a non-scale victory for you!
I love pineapple and chicken together and I keep *saying* I’m going to do a chicken/pineapple salsa combo…and then I forget when I’m at the grocery.
Renee@Mykitchenadventures says:
February 1, 2012 at 6:28 pm (UTC -7)
So are you loosing weight like crazy? Everyone I know who did this diet lost weight really quick…but then the hard part came in the next cycle. I am seriously considering trying this diet out in addition to WW.
My favorite salsas are the ones they sell at target under the archer farms label. My favorite variety is the cilantro one! sooo good. Love it on eggs!
Tami says:
February 1, 2012 at 7:10 pm (UTC -7)
Well my clothes fit so much better. I put on a pair of jeans today that were tight last week and I have more room in them! The less weight you have to lose the smaller amount you lose in the first cycle so I don’t expect a huge loss.I will weigh in on Friday and see how I am doing. I have not been 100% on plan with my busy schedule but I have made pretty good choices. The best thing is the feeling of being in control and not being a carb craving monster! Yeah for that!
Karen@WaistingTime says:
February 1, 2012 at 7:30 pm (UTC -7)
I like Newman’s Peach on my black bean burgers. So I should try that TJs version.
Tami says:
February 2, 2012 at 7:55 am (UTC -7)
I like Newmans products so I will have to look for that one Karen!
Kim says:
February 2, 2012 at 4:57 am (UTC -7)
I would love to hear about the 17 day plan…….even if you don’t post it if you could send to me via email I would be interested…..thanks!
Tami says:
February 2, 2012 at 7:54 am (UTC -7)
Kim I think I will do a post about it! Stay tuned!
tish says:
February 2, 2012 at 7:31 am (UTC -7)
My favorite salsa for my taco soup is Safeway’s Southwest Salsa with black beans and corn. I love salsa on scrambled eggs and will try it on fish soon. Thanks for reminding us about Jacques Pepin’s vinaigrette. My grandmother was French and she and my mother always used the 3 to 1 proportion of oil to vinegar, along with mustard (dry instead of processed), S&P, and garlic. I loved that dressing and a little went a long way. Don’t you just love that flash frozen individually packed fish?
Tami says:
February 2, 2012 at 7:58 am (UTC -7)
I do like some of Safeways salsa’s there is a Chipotle one that is yummy!
That salad dressing is so easy to make and doesn’t over power the flavors of the vegetables – love it!
The individually packed fish is a life saver around here!
Biz says:
February 2, 2012 at 2:17 pm (UTC -7)
I love the picture of you and Katy! I can eat salsa with a spoon – while I love it on just plain old tacos, I love it over scrambled eggs with the 100 calorie packs of guacamole – yum!!
Jan says:
February 2, 2012 at 9:32 pm (UTC -7)
Gtreat photo!
I eat salsa on eggs, meat, you name it.
I have a goal to walk a 10k then a half marathon. If I scheduled my exercise, I might actually hit those goals quicker.
The Candid RD (Gina) says:
February 3, 2012 at 4:16 am (UTC -7)
I LOVE salsa! The chunkier the better. I prefer homemade, but there are plenty of brands that I will buy and enjoy just as much. I love mixing it with plain Greek yogurt, like you said, and serving it with tacos or taco salads. I have some fruit salsa recipes that taste REALLY great on fish. I love that combination.
Katelynn Osorno says:
February 6, 2012 at 7:13 am (UTC -7)
nice blog